Saga_-_Worlds_Apart

The progressive Canadian band Saga managed four rock hits in the 80s, along with some pretty sweet mullets, keytars, and interesting music videos. The band was formed in Ontario in 1971, and featured Michael Sadler on vocals and keyboards, Jim Crichton (guitar, synthesizer), Ian Crichton (guitar), Steve Negus (drums), Jim Gilmour (LEAD synthesizer and vocals). The band’s self-titled debut came out in 1978, but it took them a few years to get their first (and biggest) US hit, “On the Loose”. The song was from the band’s gold-certified fourth album Worlds Apart (1981) which hit #29 on the Billboard 200. “On the Loose” hit #3 on the Mainstream Rock charts, and #26 on the Hot 100:

The second hit from Worlds Apart was “Wind Him Up”, which hit #24 Mainstream Rock and #64 Hot 100:

The band’s follow-up to Worlds Apart was 1983′s Heads or Tails which hit #92 on the Billboard 200. The only single to chart from the album was “The Flyer”, which hit #19 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #79 on the Hot 100:

While still popular in their native Canada, Puerto Rico and Germany, Saga produced just one more US hit.  From their 1985 Behavior album, the decidedly wimpier “What Do I Know?” hit #24 on the Mainstream Rock chart:

Saga continues to make music and has released 14 more albums since Behavior, the most recent being 2009′s The Human Condition. Original vocalist Michael Sadler left the band in 2007, and was replaced by Rob Moratti. The band’s official website is http://www.sagaontour.ca/.